From Sheikh Mujib’s secular vision to growing Islamic extremism, Bangladesh faces a defining moment
(An analytical essay drawing upon the original work and strategic assessments of Jitendra Kumar Ojha)
As Bangladesh slides into one of the most turbulent phases of its post-liberation history, a disturbing question demands urgent attention: Is the country being systematically pushed back towards the path of an Islamic republic? Recent political developments, state behaviour, and the surge of religiously motivated violence suggest that this is no longer a speculative concern, but a plausible and unfolding reality.
At a moment when reports of killings of Hindus, vandalism of temples, destruction of minority homes and businesses, and intimidation of dissenters continue to emerge from across Bangladesh, India chose an approach rooted in restraint and civility. New Delhi sent its External Affairs Minister to Dhaka to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia—an act that symbolised diplomatic maturity rather than political endorsement.
Images of India’s External Affairs Minister handing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s condolence letter to Tarique Rahman—the returning BNP leader after 17 years of exile—were widely broadcast. Predictably, critics questioned India’s intent, alleging transactional diplomacy or excessive pragmatism. Yet such interpretations miss a fundamental principle of statecraft: grace in moments of death reflects strength, not weakness.
However, the larger context within which this gesture unfolded cannot be ignored.
A political legacy rooted in hostility
Khaleda Zia’s political career was defined by an entrenched hostility towards India. She opposed virtually every initiative that could have strengthened bilateral ties—from transit agreements and connectivity to security cooperation and counter-terrorism coordination. Under her tenure, Bangladesh became a critical hub for anti-India insurgent groups, organised crime networks, and Islamist radical elements, particularly targeting India’s Northeast.
This posture did not emerge from personal animus alone. It was inherited from the political and ideological legacy of her husband, Zia ur Rahman—a product of the 1975 military coup that assassinated Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and abruptly halted Bangladesh’s secular democratic trajectory.
Zia’s rise was inseparable from the strategic realignment of Bangladesh away from Bengali cultural nationalism towards Bengali Islamic nationalism. Insecurity about legitimacy, suspicion within the armed forces, and the need for a durable power base pushed him to rehabilitate Islamist collaborators, grant amnesty to war criminals of 1971, and ultimately redefine the state’s identity. The declaration of Bangladesh as an Islamic republic in 1977 was not symbolic—it marked a civilisational reversal.
The unfinished war of 1971
The defeat of Pakistan in 1971 did not end its strategic ambitions. Instead, it forced a shift from conventional warfare to asymmetric, covert conflict. Radical Islamism, ideological subversion, organised crime, and terrorism became instruments of influence.
Bangladesh—particularly after the 1975 coup—became one of the earliest laboratories for this strategy. Pakistani deep-state networks found willing partners among Islamist political forces and compromised military officers in Dhaka. Their convergence systematically dismantled the secular foundations laid by Sheikh Mujib.
This transformation did not merely target India. It consumed Bangladesh itself—undermining democracy, eroding institutions, marginalising minorities, and turning society into a battleground of ideological extremism.
Sheikh Mujib vs the counter-narrative
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman remains Bangladesh’s foundational figure. His overwhelming electoral mandate in 1970, denial of power by West Pakistan, and the genocide that followed forged unprecedented unity between Bengali Muslims and Hindus. His vision was rooted in secularism, pluralism, and dignity.
Yet today, that very legacy is under assault.
The razing of Mujib’s residence-turned-museum, attacks on slogans like Joy Bangla, attempts to remove secularism from the Constitution, and even calls to discard the national anthem written by Rabindranath Tagore are not isolated acts. They represent a coordinated effort to erase the ideological basis of Bangladesh’s liberation and replace it with a religiously defined national identity.
Rising violence and shrinking space
Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has witnessed an alarming spike in communal violence. Official Indian figures cite nearly 2,900 attacks against minorities by late 2025; independent Bangladeshi assessments suggest the number is significantly higher.
Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Ahmadis, and indigenous communities have faced murders, sexual violence, forced displacement, and destruction of places of worship. Blasphemy accusations—borrowed straight from Pakistan’s playbook—are increasingly used to mobilise mobs and settle personal or political scores.
Awami League activists are being hunted, detained, or driven underground. Muslims who speak out against violence are silenced through intimidation. Media houses critical of the regime have been attacked. The state’s response has oscillated between denial and cosmetic law enforcement.
These are not symptoms of spontaneous unrest—they reflect a systematic contraction of pluralism.
Hasina’s failure and the vacuum it created
Sheikh Hasina cannot escape responsibility for Bangladesh’s current predicament. Despite delivering economic growth, rising incomes, and improved human development indicators, her governance increasingly relied on coercion, institutional manipulation, and political elimination.
Her greatest failure was not authoritarianism per se—it was her inability to dismantle the deeper ecosystem of radicalism, corruption, and organised crime that sustained her adversaries. Tactical compromises with Islamist institutions, misreading of mass psychology, and absence of credible political succession ultimately proved fatal.
In politics, stability without legitimacy is an illusion.
BNP’s return and the road ahead
With the Awami League effectively removed from the electoral arena, the BNP’s return to power appears inevitable. Tarique Rahman’s ascent is widely seen as pre-ordained, with elections serving largely as a legitimising ritual.
His past record—marked by criminal patronage, hostility towards India, and alliance with Islamist forces—offers little confidence. There is growing apprehension that BNP-Jamaat will intensify repression, erase secular narratives, and consolidate a religiously defined state to permanently neutralise opposition.
For India and the region, this raises an uncomfortable reality: a hostile, ideologically radicalised Bangladesh is no longer a distant possibility—it may soon be an entrenched reality.
So, is Bangladesh becoming another Islamic republic?
The signs are deeply unsettling.
- A rewritten national narrative.
- Institutional capture by Islamist-leaning forces.
- Systematic persecution of minorities.
- Erasure of secular symbols.
- Rehabilitation of 1971 collaborators.
- Delegitimisation of cultural nationalism.
Taken together, these developments point to a deliberate regression—not merely towards authoritarianism, but towards a religiously redefined state.
Whether Bangladesh halts this slide or completes the transformation into another Islamic republic will shape not only its own destiny, but the future stability of the entire subcontinent.
Final reflection
This analysis draws heavily on the original work, long-term research, and strategic insights of Jitendra Kumar Ojha, whose contribution lies not merely in narration but in contextualising Bangladesh’s crisis within the deeper currents of South Asian geopolitics, civilisational conflict, and asymmetric warfare.
Bangladesh today stands at a crossroads—not just politically, but morally and historically. Whether it reclaims its pluralist soul or descends further into radicalised authoritarianism will shape the future of the entire region.
Hope remains—but hope alone has never altered history.
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